Water-wheel



OFFICE.

ALBERT MOREHOUSE, OF FARMER, NEW YORK.l

WATER-WHEEL.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 28,682, dated J' une 12, 1`860.

To all 'whom 'it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MoREHoUsE, of Farmer, in the county of Seneca and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Vater-l/Vheels, the construction and operation of which I have described in the following specification and illustrated in its accompanying drawings with suficient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use my invention.

My invention consists in the combination with the buckets or ioats constructed and arranged as described, of sheeting so curved in relation to the said bucket-s as to allow a portion of the water to pass between the inner point of the bucket and the sheeting and impinge against the next bucket, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

My invention is represented in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure 1 is a horizont-al section of my improved water wheel representing the parts below the line X X in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

l, is the shaft of the wheel.

2, 2, are the arms, though generally in practice a larger number would be used.

3, and 4, are the rims between which the buckets 5, and the sheeting 6, are secured, the rims being drawn snugly and firmly against them by the bolts 7.

The natural direction of the water, as it leaves the restraint of the spout by which it is laid on to the wheel is in all cases in a direct line-the natural movement of all unrestrained bodies. In its action upon a revolving wheel however, this feature in its movement involves in the usual constructions considerable loss of power. It is true that efforts have been made, and with some success, to counteract this difficulty, and among the devices which have been used for that purpose may be mentioned the grooved bucket of Pouncelet, which commences on a line tangential to the shaft, the outward discharge and curved bucket of Fourneyron, and some other'contrivances. All these contrivances are, however, more or less objectionable. In the use of the Pouncelet bucket the water is driven into the interior of the wheel, and is thus compelled to exhaust a portion of its force in a lateral movement insteadof expending the whole of it in theA propulsion of the wheel. In the wheel of Fourneyron much complication is involved thereby. increasing the expense of construction, and the difficulty and cost of keeping it in repair. In some cases what' is known as a scroll pitch has been employed to hold the water up to its work. This, as the scientific and practical millwright is well aware, also involves a loss of power, not only in the diversion of the waterfrom its direct course but also in the unavoidable friction of the water against the curb by which it is restrained. In brief, all these devices for the purpose of obviat-ing the difficulty to which I have previously alluded, introduce others which are to be cautiously avoided if possible. It is important that the water should be compelled to expend its force upon the wheel till its power of propulsion is entirely exhausted, and then be permitted to leave without such restrictions as would detract from the effect gained from its operation. It is desirable that the water upon entering the wheel should do so without such shock as would cause it to escape violently in some other direction, and thus escape from the exercise upon the wheel of a portion of its propelling force.

In-my wheel the difficulties above stated are obviated without involving complication of construction or liability to derangement. The buckets 5, are set at such an angle as to receive the water without such shock as would involve a serious loss of power, and to deflect it toward the center of the wheel. As the water presses forward against the bucket exerting its initial force against it, it is pressed into the partial angle formed between the said bucket and the sheetino' 6, the curve in the sheeting just back ofa the inner point of the bucket receiving a portion of the force in such a manner as to give propulsion in a very effective manner, and causing it to exhaust its force in an eddying motion between the sheeting and the bucket, during -which operation the initial velocity due to its head is expended in driving the wheel forward. This eddying motion is indicated by the arrow 8. A large portion of the water upon reaching the inner point of the bucket passes with difficulty through the opening between the point of the bucket and the sheeting, as

indicated by the arrow 9, and following the curve in the sheeting is deflected a ainst the succeeding bucket, a portion of it eing discharged in an exhausted state, and the remaining portion passing between the bucket and the sheeting as indicated by the arrow l0, the inclination of the bucket holding it upon the wheel and enabling it to exert force in propulsion when its velocity is something less than that of the wheel. As a matter of simplicity, the buckets are represented as being straight, but a curved bucket with its concavity toward the axis of the wheel would probably give an increased effeet, though at greater cost of construction. The wheel is also by this construction perfectly ventilated.

ALBERT MOREHOUSE.

Witnesses CHAS. KELLY, C. BERGEN. 

